How to Renew Your Mind

 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

–Romans 12:2 NIV

When we live for Christ, we are transformed into new creatures, but the story doesn’t end there. After transformation, we are called to make the best of our fresh beginning by trusting God and submitting to His will. That is why He reminds us to guard our hearts, because everything we do is influenced by it (Proverbs 4:23).

It is also noteworthy to recognize that the mind is the eyes of the heart. In fact, when the word heart is mentioned in scripture, it is often referring to a person’s thought life, rather than the mass of muscle pumping blood through their body. 

You Are What You Think

In the book of Proverbs, King Solomon states: “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” Technically speaking, a man cannot think with his heart –or in it for that matter.

However, the king, in all his Godly wisdom, recognized the intricate link between the heart and mind. He understood our thought-life –that is our will, emotions, intellect and imagination– ultimately dictate our outlook on reality.

Hence, from King Solomon’s proverb, we can infer that constantly engaging  in negative thinking will lead to a pessimistic worldview that makes it impossible to see the good in anything.  

The wise king understood if a person internalized negative perceptions, they would transmit the bleak reality they created in their minds to their hearts. This would ultimately harden it, making it difficult for them to express love, extend forgiveness and reach out to others. 

Of course, negative, fatalistic thinking is the perfect formula for loneliness, resentment and depression, leading a person into mental bondage and the destructive habits that accompany the dismal state.

This means in order to “guard our hearts,” we must make a conscious effort to monitor the things we watch and listen to. Simply speaking, what we see and hear impacts how we feel and determines the decisions we make. If the things we expose ourselves to encourage destructive thoughts fueled by envy and strife, we will become miserable people.

Casting Down Vain Imaginations

The Word of God says in the fight for our minds, the weapons of our warfare are not physical. Instead, they are mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.

This simply means our enemy is not other people. That is why the apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, urged believers to cast down arguments, vain imaginations and every high thing that tried to elevate itself against God’s knowledge. Not to mention, believers were also mandated to bring every thought into captivity into the obedience of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).

How do we do this? By filtering every thought through the Word of God, which is the undiluted truth. In other words, you may feel ugly, but God says you are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14.)

Likewise, you may be convinced that all hope is lost, but the scriptures state God has a plan not to harm you, but to give you a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11). This practice won’t come easy at first, but it is crucial in demolishing negative thought patterns and strongholds.